He said: “I think it needs more detail on the deliverable so that when it’s published people can see action.”

Valuing People Now was published for consultation last December, to “refresh” to agenda to improve the life chances of people with learning disabilities, originally set out in the 2001 Valuing People white paper. Proposals include transferring primary care trusts’ remaining social care commissioning responsibilities to councils by April 2009 and action to increase the number of people with learning disabilities in paid work.

Hope also confirmed that the national dementia strategy for England, due next month, would have funding attached to it, despite the impact of the current economic downturn on the public finances.

He also said that economic conditions would not affect next year’s green paper on adult social care funding, adding: “Whatever short-term changes there are in house values of the stock market, we are talking about a reform for the next 20 years.”

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